Definition of Acting Out of Turn

What does it mean to "act out of turn" in the world of poker? What is the definition of the term "acting out of turn"?

In poker, "acting out of turn" occurs when a player acts before it is their turn to act.

In many cases, "acting out of turn" is a simple mistake. For instance, a player might not be paying close attention and may announce a bet before it is their turn to do so.

In other cases, "acting out of turn" may be done intentionally. This is considered to be "angle shooting", which means that you are using nefarious means in order to gain an advantage over the other players at the table. "Acting out of turn" on purpose is obviously considered a no-no in the world of poker.

Let's look at an example of "acting out of turn".

Let's say that you are playing in a $1/$2 NLHE cash game at your local casino. After a pre-flop raise from a player in early position, you decide to call on the button holding 7-8 of spades. The big blind also decides to call.

The flop comes Qs-Js-Ah. You have a decent hand (flush draw) and are in position.

The second player to act throws out a bet before the big blind is able to act. The player has "acted out of turn" and what happens next is determined by the rules of the poker room that you are playing in. In many cases, the player will be reprimanded and they will be given the option of taking their action back. In this case, the player's desire to immediately fire out a bet should be taken as a show of strength, and it would be likely that both yourself and the big blind would proceed very carefully in the hand, assuming that the player acting out of turn took their action back. If the bet is allowed to stand, folding would likely be the right choice here, depending on the size of the bet.